Hat-tricks Help Panasonic, Suntory Stay Unbeaten

TOKYO (Sept. 23) – There were hat-tricks aplenty Saturday in the Japan Rugby Top League as five games were played across the country in Round 5 of the competition.

Two of them came at Kumagaya Sports Stadium as Panasonic Wild Knights and Suntory Sungoliath maintained their unbeaten starts to the season.

Akihito Yamada touched down three times in the second half as Robbie Deans’ side beat Jake White’s Toyota Verblitz 43-16 to see them head the White Conference with a maximum 25 points.

Yamada’s efforts saw Panasonic run away with the game following an even first half that saw the teams turn around with the Wild Knights leading 17-10.

In the earlier game of the doubleheader, Atsushi Hiwasa crossed the chalk three times in the first half as Suntory beat Kubota Spears 54-17 to go top of the Red Conference with 24 points, two points clear of Kobe Kobelco Steelers, who won Friday to ensure they too have started the season unbeaten.

The third hat-trick of the day came down in Fukuoka at Level 5 Stadium where Amanaki Lotoahea helped Ricoh Black Rams to third spot in the White Conference thanks to a 32-5 win over Coca-Cola Red Sparks.

NEC Green Rockets made it three wins and two losses for the season as they topped Munakata Sanix Blues 29-17 in the second game of the Fukuoka doubleheader – a match that saw all six tries scored in the second half after the teams turned away all square at 3-3.

Amanaki Lelei Mafi was among the try scorers in Kariya, Aichi Prefecture, as NTT Communications Shining Arcs also picked up their third victory of the season with a 32-24 defeat of Toyota Industries Shuttles, who like Coca-Cola and Canon Eagles (who play Yamaha Jubilo on Sunday) remain winless.